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W&L Tax Clinic Receives IRS Grant for Fifth Straight Year

The Tax Clinic at the Washington and Lee University School of Law has been awarded a matching grant from the Internal Revenue Service's Low-Income Taxpayer Clinic program (LITC). This is the fifth straight year that the Tax Clinic has received federal dollars to support its efforts.

The grant of $60,000 will fund the clinic for the 2012 calendar year, offsetting a portion of clinic's operating costs.

Students in the Tax Clinic provide free legal representation to low-income taxpayers in resolving their controversies with the Internal Revenue Service. Since beginning operations in 2008, the Tax Clinic has represented more than 150 taxpayers in matters before the IRS.

"We are proud to continue in the LITC program, which plays a pivotal role in providing low-income taxpayers access to pro bono legal representation," said Michelle Drumbl, associate clinical professor of law and director of the Tax Clinic. "Our clinic students are an energetic and effective voice for these clients before the IRS, and in turn the clinic experience helps prepare these students for legal practice."

At least 90% of the clients represented by the clinic are "low-income", meaning their incomes do not exceed 250% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines published annually by the Department of Health and Human Services.

The Clinic's service area includes much of the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia, including the cities of Lexington, Roanoke, Harrisonburg, Staunton, Charlottesville, and Lynchburg. Visit the tax clinic website, law.wlu.edu/taxclinic, for a complete listing of areas served and client qualifications.

The IRS Low Income Taxpayer (LITC) grant program is administered by the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate, which operates independently of any other IRS office and reports directly to Congress through the National Taxpayer Advocate. Likewise, clinics funded by the grant program remain completely independent of and are not associated with the federal government. The LITC grant program was created as part of the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998.